Events

WHAT: Adam Sandler might not be everyone's cup of tea, but he must be his own. In 2002, the same year the comedian racked up acclaim for the understated comic drama "Punch Drunk Love," he also appeared as his usual absurdist idiot in "Mr. Deeds." 2007, the year of the Brooklyn native's gut-wrenching...

When the projected snowflakes began falling across the cartoonish landscape at Garden Theatre's "Charlie Brown Christmas," I suddenly felt the same age as the tot seated beside me. That's part of the magic in this stage adaptation of the beloved animated TV special. For actual children, the Garden...

WHAT: Pottery is such an ancient art form we used to write our stories on it. Imagine needing to get your water jug every time you had to remember the 12 Labors of Hercules. Since our textbooks are paper or digital now, pottery is free to be decorative. The Orlando Pottery Festival will showcase...

WHAT: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Take Jodeci, who in 2015 released "The Past, The Present, The Future," the first album from the R&B quartet since 1995. From the opening electronic beats of the first track ("Too Hot"), the sound is undoubtedly modern, and the voices of...

WHAT: Though Snoopy occasionally appeared to be a cold and unsympathetic beagle, creator Charles M. Schulz once summed up life as "Happiness is a warm puppy." Even if your own dog has gone commercial, you can still keep the giving spirit of the holidays alive. Orlando Brewing is partnering with...

Busch Gardens celebrates the holidays by erecting its own Christmas Town, a place to meet Santa and, this year, Rudolph of red-nose reindeer fame. The area is garnished with 2 million twinkling lights, and is the home to shows such as "Christmas on Ice" and "Carol of the Bells" light show. WHERE:...

For someone who's always so down on his luck, Charlie Brown has never been cooler. Cool might be an understatement, actually. The lovable Charles Schulz character is downright cold as he comes to life at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in the one form that might not survive a Florida...

"Marley was dead," intones actor Timothy Williams, sonorously beginning Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." But within a few lines, "A Christmas Carol" has been trashed by his castmates, and Orlando Shakespeare Theater's latest revival of "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)" is off and...

Hispanic Federation, a national nonprofit aimed at strengthening Latino families and organizations, has organized a five-day festival in Orlando to honor victims of the Pulse shooting. FuerzaFest opened Wednesday with a workshop on discrimination and violence in the Latino and gay communities....

WHAT: The popular "Naked Boys Singing!" musical revue returns to Orlando's Parliament House with its mix of 16 original songs, six men and an extremely limited costume budget. As conceived by Robert Shrock, the guys perform mostly in the buff — but not in a pornographic way. Musical numbers range...

Latest concert news

Comedian Nick Swardson grew up watching Adam Sandler, David Spade and Rob Schneider on NBC's sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live." Now he's part of the act. The initial surrealness has worn off after 10 years, but Swardson still loves watching them — particularly Sandler — perform. "When...

When the Doobie Brothers roll into Orlando on Wednesday, Nov. 16, fans can be pretty sure of what they're going to get. "I think you've gotta stay true to whatever made you where you are now," says singer Tom Johnston. The California songwriter's simple philosophy has guided him through more than...

On Tuesday morning Beyoncé became the lead nominee for next year’s Grammy Awards. The accolades came just a few months after “Formation” caused national outrage. The single — in which she proudly sings “I like my Negro nose” — sparked controversy with its provocative music video. The artist was...

Latest movie releases

A festival circuit refugee from 2015, "Man Down" is a genuinely sad film, intentionally and unintentionally. It tells the story of Gabriel, played with 106-degree fever intensity by Shia LaBeouf, a loving husband and father who enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps and lands in the thick of war in Afghanistan....

If a movie's central narrative hook is hanging right there, in the middle of a coming-attractions trailer already seen online and in multiplexes by millions, are we really going to get hung up on what's a spoiler and what isn't? In the swank but waxy new World War II-era Robert Zemeckis film "Allied,"...

Featuring songs by "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, the new animated musical adventure "Moana" is Disney's first princess-with-an-asterisk offering since "Frozen." The "Moana" score's signature power ballad, "How Far I'll Go," may well take its rightful place alongside the earlier film's...

In calling "Bad Santa 2" the feel-bad movie of the season, let me be clear: I don't mean that it revives the rude-and-crude fun of the original hit, which turned the traditional Christmas film on its head. I mean the opposite. Trying to recapture that dark magic doesn't work the second time around....

Attraction news

Walt Disney World has unveiled details, including the price, of its new Star Wars Tour based out of Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. The seven-hour experience will sell for $121.12, plus admission to Hollywood Studios will be required, according to Disney World's official website. The tour...

For the avid Potterphile, a cornucopia of magical items can be collected at Universal Studios' The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, only a Muggle would think they could choose a wand from Ollivanders wand shop in Diagon Alley. The wand always chooses the wizard. You can get a good sense...

Actors Warwick Davis and Matthew Lewis will be participating in the 2017 edition of A Celebration of Harry Potter, a three-day event at Universal Studios theme park. Lewis played Neville Longbottom in all eight of the “Harry Potter” films. He’s also seen in the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey...

Arts and theater events

United Arts of Central Florida has received a $250,000 Arts and Cultural Community Support Grant from the Darden Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Darden Restaurants. The award is a $50,000 increase over Darden's gift last year. The money from the Orlando-based restaurant company will be...

Need a gift for the arts lover in your life? Sorting through the mail that crosses my Orlando Sentinel desk has yielded these gift ideas that feature Central Florida connections. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is celebrating its 75th year, and in honor of that milestone, the museum...

The Humor Mill Orlando pokes fun at this merriest time of year with its third annual holiday-themed show, "Chain Letters to Santa." The sketch-comedy troupe, which has performed at the Orlando Fringe Festival, mixes musical parodies into its comic bits. Making an appearance will be Santa himself,...